March Madness – Basketball Widow Survival 101

March Madness

What do you do when your competition is not another woman, but another guy shooting a ball?

As March madness kicks into high gear, women whose husbands are sports fanatics can feel neglected and abandoned — it’s the classic “football widow” syndrome. But you’re not doomed to annoyance and resentment if you can meet your husband halfway.

Your goal is not to get your man to stop watching sports. After all, you wouldn’t be pleased if you were forbidden to engage in an activity that gives you great pleasure. It’s OK for you not to like sports — just as it’s OK for him not to like shopping.

Don’t forget that there are benefits to sports fandom. Sports fans have something to look forward to as well as a good avenue for blowing off steam. They are able to identify with a group and bond with friends over the game — all are plusses for mental health. Sports often create common ground for fathers and children.

A problem exists only if you feel your man’s sports fanaticism is negatively affecting family or couple time.

One good strategy is to do your own thing while your husband is watching the game. Plan your own day out with your friends or with other women in the same boat.

If you want to stay with your husband while he watches the tube, don’t feel obligated to watch intently. Do your own thing — read, write, do the crossword puzzle, brush the dog.

Use sports as a way to bond with others. Turn the game into a social event. There’s no rule saying you need to actually watch the activity on the field. Catch up with your friends, and spend the time talking rather than watching.

Make the game a family activity, too. When your team wins, you can go for pizza and celebrate. When your team loses, you can go for pizza and commiserate.

It’s pointless to tell your man you hate sports or you don’t get why he likes them. It’s better to try to get involved. If you have any interest at all, have him explain the game to you. (Don’t do this during a game. Badgering him with “What is happening?” is like talking during a movie and likely to annoy him.)

Have him discuss not just the rules but the players. Their personal stories are often far more interesting. Every team has its backstories and personalities — the bad boy, the underdog, the comeback kid.

Still if your man is watching sports to the point your marriage is suffering, he might be using sports to avoid you. Sportsaholics and workaholics sometimes immerse themselves in outside activities to avoid their home life.

If he places sports too far above your life together, it could be that something bad is brewing between you. In this case, his sports fandom is masking the real issue, and he won’t reduce his reliance on sports until that problem is solved.

So you should let him know that, while you want him to enjoy watching the game, you feel a distance between you, and you should brainstorm about ways to create inclusion.